Machine for making products of cement or artificial stone.



No. 738,910. y, PAT-BNTED SBPT.15. ma.A

MACHINE FOR MAKING P'RDUCTSAOFCBMENT OR- ARTIFICIAL STONE. APPLIOATION FILED JUNE ao, 1902.

f Noms PETERS co., mom-LITNQJWASHMMDN, DI@- PATBNTED SEPT. 15, 190s.

W. E. JAQUBS. MACHINE FOR MAKING PRODUCTS 0F CEMENT 0R ARTI-FICIAL STONE.

APLIOATION IIL'ED JUNE 30| 1902.'

`No MODEL.

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, 4UNITED- STATES* Patented September 15, 1903;

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM E. JAQUES, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO ALFRED O. OROZIER, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.v

MACHINE FOR'MAKING PRODUCTS 0F CEMENT OR ARTIFICIAL STONE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent No. 738,910, dated September 15, 1903.

Application filed June 30, 1902f To @ZZ whom, it may concern.: p

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. VJAQUEs, a citizen of the United States of America, re-v siding at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Making Products of Cementor Artificial Stone.; and I hereby declare the'following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to Vimprovements in machines for making bricks or blocks or products of cement or artificial stone.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a machine wherein plas-tic material having Portland or hydraulic cement asv an ingredient is operated 'upon within a die or mold having a removable bottom wherein the laden bottom is removed from the chamber of the mold and replaced, by an unladen mold-bottom and wherein the brick or product removed from the chamber of the mold upon a mold-bottom is not directly touched or handled independently of the said bottom until the material which composes the product has set enough to` render the product capable of being directly handled without liability of mutilatingor injuring the product.

Another object of this invention is to provide a machine or apparatus ofthe character indicated which is simple in construction and reliable, convenient, and efficieutin its operation.

VWith these objects in view and to the end of realizing other advantages hereinafter appearing the invention consists in certain features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

Y In the accompanying drawings, Figure I is aside elevation,largely in section, of a machine or apparatus embodying my invention.` Fig. II is a left-hand side elevation relative to Fig. I of the lower portion of the machine. Fig. III is a vertical section on line III III, Fig. I, looking in the direction indicated by the arrow. Figs. IV, V, and VI are elevations, largely in section, of portions of the machine and illustrate the formation of the Serial No. 113,773. (No model.)

product within the mold and the removal of the same upon the mold-bottom from the chamber of the mold.

Referring to the drawings, ct designates a vertically-arranged open-ended case or section which forms the surrounding walls of the chamber of the mold. The section a is stationary, being secured in any approved manner to thestationary framework of the machine. The section a is open at its upper end to accommodate the introduction of the material required to be fed into the mold to make the brickror product which is to be formed by and within the mold and to accommodate the operation of a plunger h,employed to operate upon the material from above, and

' to accommodate also the passage of the moldbottom c upwardly through and from the chamber of the mold. The section a is open at its lower end to receive thevplunger Z),

which constitutes a su pport for the mold-bottom c, upon which the brick or product is 'form in dimensions from the upper end to the lower end of the mold, and thev said bottom vhas the dimensions required to render it capable of snugly but easily fitting within the said chamber and to accommodate its removal when laden upwardly through and above the upper end of the mold-section a, so as to render the said laden bottom capable of being` shoved from over the said section a onto a stationary table d, which is arranged in a horizontal plane and has its upper surface flush with the upper extremity of the moldsection a, and the laden mold'- bottom is shoved or moved from the table CZ onto a pallet e, whichA is removably supported in any approved manner from the stationary framework of the machine and arranged with its IOO l upper surface iush with the upper surface of the table d. The laden mold-bottom bearing the brick or product formed within the mold is removed from the mold onto the table d and thence onto the pallet e in any approved manner, and suitable mechanism for moving or actuating the said bottom onto the table d is illustrated and hereinafter described.

l bottom c at a time and edgewise through the said slot onto the upper surface or top of the plunger b, which is lowered into its lowermost position preparatory to the introd uction of the said bottom cinto the position required to form the bottom of the chamber of the mold, which is formed by the mold-section a and the said mold-bottom c when the latter is applied. The said mold-bottom c is fed onto the lower plunger() in any approved manner, and mechanism suitable for feeding one moldbottom at a time onto the said plunger is hereinafter described.

The unset plastic material is fed into the chamber of the mold from above in any approved manner, and pressure from above is exerted upon the material fed into the mold by an upper plunger h, which is applied and operated in any approved manner and has the dimensions required to render it capable of snugly but easily entering the chamber ofthe mold. plunger h is illustrated and hereinafter described. lt will be observed, therefore, that the unset plastic material required to form the brick or product in the mold is fed into the mold and rests upon a mold-bottom c, which, as already indicated, is removably seated upon the lower plunger b, and the said material is compacted within t-he mold and upon the said bottom into the form of the brick or product which is to be made by the machine.

The operation of the machine or apparatus hereinbefore described is therefore as follows: The lower plunger b is brought into position ready to receive a mold-bottom c, which is then fed through the slot l onto the said plunger and into the position required to render it capable of ascending the chamber formed by and within the mold-section a, as shown in Figs. I and III. The material is then fed into the said chamber from above, whereupon the upper plunger h, which has been elevated out of the way preparatory to the feeding of the said material, is lowered into the said chamber, as shown in Fig. IV, and exerts pressure upon the material with- Suitable mechanism for operating the.

ger upwardly to the extent required, and the said bottom upon being elevated far enough to bring its under surface next above the upper extremity of the said mold-section a is shoved or moved from over the said moldsection a onto the table d, as shown in Fig. VI, and thence onto the pallet e, and of course the upper plunger is elevated during the elevation of the said bottom cfar enough to freely accommodate the removal of the elevated laden bottom onto the table. The pallet e as soon as it becomes laden with a row of laden mold-bottoms c is then removed and replaced by another and unladen pallet. Upon the removal of the laden mold-bottom c from the mold-section a onto the table d the lower plunger b is again lowered into its lowermost position, ready to receive another unladen moldbottom. The mold-bottoms c have preferably a smooth upper surface.

It will be observed that by the machine or apparatus hereinbefore described a brick formed within the mold and composed of plastic material which has not set sufficiently to render the product capable of being directly handled without liability of mutilating or injuring the same is adequatelysupported upon the mold-bottom, especially when the brick is vformed flatwise within the mold, as illustrated,and hastheordinaryorconventionaldimensions--a thickness of two inches, a width of four inches, and a length of eight inchesand rests, therefore, at one of its largest surfaces upon the said bottom, and it will be observed that only the mold-bottom upon which the brick rests is touched or handled during the period in which the setting ofthe material composing the brick takes place.y The brick or product as soon as it has suciently set is removed from the mold-bottom interposed between it and the pallet e and stacked or stored away to harden, and the said moldbottom is then returned to the machine for use again as a support for material formed into a brick or predetermined product within the mold in the formation of which the said bottom participates.

The upper plunger h is a vertically-reciprocating plunger engaging correspondinglyarranged slideways m, formed upon the stationary framework of the machine. The plunger h is operatively connected, by means of a pitman n, as shown in Fig. I, with the crank 0 of a suitably-driven crank-shaft p, which is arranged horizontally and suitably supported a suitable distance above the travel of the said plunger. The shaft p is opera- IOO IIO

tively provided with a driving-wheel a, to which power is applied in any approved manner.

The lower plunger b is a vertically-reciprocating plunger engaging correspondinglyarranged slidewa-ys formedrupon the stationary framework of the machine below the moldsection a. The plunger b is provided with a depending roller-bearing arm or stem t. The stem or arm t has two horizontal rollers u, as shown in Fig. III. The rollers u are arranged at`opposite sides, respectively, of the said arm or stem and in line. The rollers u engage the cam-forming ways w, formed in corresponding cam-wheels which are operaf tively mounted upon ashafty, arranged horizontally and a suitable distance below the travel of the plunger h. The shaft y is parallel with the upper shaftp and supported in any approved manner from the stationary framework.

A suitable operative connection between the shafts y and p (see Figs. I and III) comprises one or two sprocket-wheels 10, operatively'mounted upon the` shaft y and operatively connected, respectively, by a-chain 12 with a sprocket-Wheel 13, which is operatively mounted upon the upper shaft p.

The mold-bottom c is passed onto the lower plunger b through the slot Z from a table 15, which has its upper surface ush with the bottom of the said slot. `Nextoutside of the slot Z and next over the table 15 is placed a pile of mold-bottoms c, and one bottom c is fed at a time from the said pile `through the said Aslot onto the said plunger. Suitable means for feeding the lowermost bottom c of the pile of bottoms through the slotl comprises a horizontally-arranged slide 16, which rests upon and is movable longitudinally of the table 15, and the travel of the said slide extends to and flush with the adjacent side wall of the chamber of the mold. The slide 16 is normally arranged to engage the outer table-crossing edge of the lowermost bottom of the pile of bottoms c, and the said slide 16 engages'slideways or guides 17, formedupon the table 15 at the side edges of the said slide, as shown in Figs. l and Il. The thickness of the slide 16 does not exceed and is prefer-v ably somewhat less than the thickness ,of a mold-bottom c, so that there is no liability of Athe said slide engaging more than one bottom c at a time. The slide 16 is provided at its outer end with a roller 18, which extends into a slot 20, formed in and longitudinally of the upper arm of a vertically-tilting?,` lever 22, which is fulcrumed, as at 2l, to the stationary framework of the machine and has its lower arm extending into the path of a l roller23, with ,which one of the cam-wheels fr is provided. A suitably-applied spring 24 acts to retain the lever 22 in itsznormal position, wherein the, slide 16 is in its outer position, and the arrangement ofthe parts is such that the roller 23 shall during the rotation of the shaft y come into engagement with the lower arm of the lever 22 and thereupon aetuate the said lever against the action of the spring24 in the direction required to cause the said slide to feed the lowermost bottom of the pile of bottoms c onto the said lower plunger. lThe spring 24 as soon as the lever 22 is released by the roller 23 during the said rotation of the said shaft returns the said slide into its outer and'normal position.

r1`he means for feeding the laden mold-bottom from the lower plunger b, when the said plungercis in its elevated position, onto the table is-substantially the same as the means already. described for feeding an u nladen bottom onto the said plunger and comprises a horizontally arranged slide 26,'whicl1 rests upon and is movable longitudinally of a table 25, which is arranged above the table 15 and has its upper surface flush with the upper surf f ace of the table d, so that a laden mold-bottom upon the said plunger when the latter is elevated Hush withthe upper surfaces of the said tables d and 25 shall be in position to be engaged by the slide 26 at its edge which faces the said slide, and the said slide is thereupon actuated to remove the said bottom from the said plunger onto the table (Z. tables d and 25 are arranged, therefore, at opposite sides, respectively, of the upper end of the mold-section a.. The slide 26 engages slideways 27, formed upon the table 25 at the side edges of the said slide, as shown in Figs. I and II. The slide 26 is providedat its outer end with a roller or member 28, which extends into a slot 30, formed in and longitudinally of the upper arm of a vertically-tilting 1ever32, which is fulcrumed, as at 31, to the stationary framework of the machine and has ris The

IOO

rollerY 33, with which one of the cam-wheels x is provided. A suitably-applied spring 34 acts to retain the lever 32 in its normal position when the slide 26 is in its normal position and does not overhang the chamber of the mold-section a, and the arrangement of theparts is such that the roller 33 shall'during each rotation of the shaft yv come into engagement with the lower arm ofthe lever 32 and vthereupon actuate the said lever against the action of the spring 34s in the direction required to cause the slide 26 to engage the opposing edge of the elevated laden bottom and push the latter onto the table d, and the saidV spring as soon as the said lever is released by the said roller 33 during the said rotation of thev said shaft promptly returns the said` slide into its outerand normal position. Y

The means for feeding the plastic material into thel chamber of theA mold-section a from above comprises a suitably-applied hopper internally with aV vertically-arranged nor.-V

mally closed valve-forming slide 37, which is operatively connected at its upper end by a link 50 with a lever 38, which is fulcrumed at one end, as at 40, to the hopper 35, and a suitably-applied spring 42 acts to retain the slide or valve 37 in its lower and normal or spout-closing position. The lever 38 is made in two sections pivotally secured togetherby a pin 43, which is arranged horizontally, and the valve 37 is attached to the said lever by the said pin. The free end portion 44 of the lever 38 is therefore capable of tilting vertically independently of the remaining portion of the lever; but the said free end por.- tion 44 to prevent it tilting upwardly independently of the remaining portion of the lever and to permit it to tilt only downwardly independently of the saidlremaining portion of the lever is provided with an arm or lug 45, which overhangs and normally rests upon the said remaining portion of the lever, as shown in Fig. I, and a suitably-applied spring 46 acts to retain the said lever-section 44 in its normal position. Theplunger 7L is provided at its upper end with a laterally-projecting member 47, and the free end portion 44 of the lever 38 extends into the path of the said plunger member 47. The arrangement of the parts is such that the plunger h in its elevated position has its member 47 above the free'end portion 44 of the lever 38, that the said plunger member 47 during the downward movement of the plunger comes into engagement with the upper side of the free end portion 44 of the lever and tilts the said free end portion downwardly against the action of the spring 42 without acting upon the remainder of the lever, that the said plunger when it has been lowered into engagement with the body of material in the mold-section a is far enough below the free end portion 44 of the lever 38, as shown in-Fig. IV, to prevent the plunger member 47 during the next upward movement of the plunger from coming into engagement with the said lever until the laden mold-bottom has been elevated and fed onto the table d, whereupon the free end portion 44 of the lever will be engaged upon its under side bythe said plunger member 47 during the said upward movement of the plunger, and the power applied by the plunger member 47 against the under side of the free end portion 44 of the lever 38 during the said upward movement of the plunger will result in tilting the said lever upwardly against the action of the spring 42 and,

as required, to open the valve 37, so that another charge of material will pass to the chamber of the mold-section a. The hopper may be provided internally with any device or mechanism (not shown) which will facilitate and accelerate the passage of material from the hopper to the mold, so that the feed of material to the mold will be sufficiently rapid to supply the mold within the limited time with the proper amount of material, and obviously the valve 37 as soon as the free end portion 44 of the lever 38 has been released by the plunger member 47 during the upward movement of the plunger h will be closed by the action of the spring 42.

The arrangement of the parts and the trend of the ways w of the cam-wheels are such that during the operation of the machine the following operations occur: A mold-bottom c is passed by the slide 16 onto the lower plunger Z) when the said plunger is in its lowermost position, that the proper amount of material is fed from the hopper 35 into the chamber of the mold over the said bottom during the ascent of the upper plunger h, that the upper plunger descends upon the body of material thus fed into the said chamber and exerts pressure upon, and thereby compacts, the said material, that both plun gers then ascend and the laden mold-bottom is elevated above the table d, and the upper plunger releases the product upon the said bottom, and the slide 26 shoves the laden mold-bottom from the lower plunger onto the said table and returns promptly into its normal position upon the performance of its function, and that the lower plunger, while the upper plunger continues to ascend, descends into its lowermost position and receives another unladen moldbottom before another charge of material is fed from the hopper to the mold during the said ascent of the upper plunger.

What I claim is l. In a machine for making products ofthe character indicated, a mold comprising a section which forms the surrounding walls of the chamber of the mold and having a bottom which is movable in a vertical plane and has such travel relative to the chamber-forming mold-section that the said bottom and the product formed within thesaid chamber and resting upon the said bottom shall be entirely removed from the said chamber, or the said chamber shall be closed by the said bottom from below, according as the said, bottom is in the one or the other of its extreme positions during its travel in a vertical plane, which chamber-forming mold-section is provided, atthe bottom, with a lateral slot; a plunger for effecting the actuation of and affording bearing to the said bottom; means for operating the plunger; means for feeding the mold-bottom through the aforesaid slot onto the plunger, and means for compacting the material fed to the chamber of the mold.

2. In a machine for making products of the character indicated, a mold comprising a section which forms the surrounding Walls of the chamber of the mold and having a bottom which is movable upwardly through the said chamber,which stationary section is provided, at its lower end, with a lateral slot alording the passage of a mold-bottom therethrough; a plunger arranged to move in the said chamber and affording bearing to the bottom fed onto the plunger through the aforesaid slot; means for feeding the bottom onto the said plunger through the said slot; means for op- IIO IZO

erating the plunger', aud means for compacting the material fed to the chamber of the mold.

3. 'In a machine for making products of theA character indicated, a mold comprising a section which is instrumental in forming the su rrounding walis of the chamber of the mold, said mold having a bottom which is movable up and down and has such travel relative to the said chamber-forming section that the said bottom and the product formed within the said chamber and resting on the bottom shall be removed from the said chamber, or the said chamber shall be closed by the said bottom from below, according as the said bottom is actuated into the one or the other of its extreme positions; averticallymovable support for the said bottom; means for compacting the material fed to the said chamber; means for actuating the said bottom-support; a removably-supported pallet arranged to receive the laden mold-bottom when the latter is removed from the aforesaid chamber, aud means for feeding the laden bottom, when the latter is removed from the said chamber, onto the said pallet.

4. In a machine for making products ofthe character indicated, a mold comprising a section which forms the surrounding walls of the chamber of the mold and having a bottom which is movable in avertical plane and has such travel relative to the chamber-forming mold-section that the said bottom and the product formed within the said chamber and resting upon the said bottom shall be entirely removed from the said chamber, or the said chamber shall be closed by the said bottom from below, according as the said bottom is actuated into the one or the other of its extreme positions during its travel in a vertical plane; a plunger arranged to aord bearing to the said bottom; means vfor compacting the material fed to the said chamber and comprising another plunger arranged to enter said chamber from above; a table 'arranged at one side of the mold in position to receive theladen bottom when the latter is freed from the chamber-forming mold-section; means for operating the lower plunger as required to bring the laden bottom in position to pass onto the aforesaid table; means for actuating the laden mold-bottom onto the said table, and a removable pallet arranged to receive the laden mold-bottom from the said table.

5. In a machine for making products of the character indicated, a mold comprising a section which forms the surrounding walls of the chamber of the mold and having a bottom which is movable upwardly through the said chamber; a plunger arranged to afford bearing to the said bottom and movable within the aforesaid chamber; means for compacting the material fed to the said'chamber; means for operating the said plunger as required to elevate the laden mold-bottom above the chamber-forming mold-section; two tables arranged at opposite sides, respectively,

of the upper end of the chamber-forming mold section; a feeding device on one of the Said tables and arranged to engage and push the elevated laden bottom from the aforesaid plunger onto the other table; a shaft; means for operating the shaft; means for transmitting power from the shaft to the' aforesaid plunger; a lever operatively connected with the said feeding device; means acting to retain the feeding device in its outerand normal position, and means arranged to operate the said lever and operatively connected with the aforesaid shaft.

6. In amachine for making products of the character indicated, a mold comprising a section which eforms the surrounding Walls of the chamber of the mold, said mold having` aI bottom which is movable upwardly through the said chamber; a plunger arranged to afford bearing to the said bottom and movable Within the aforesaid chamber; means for com pacting the material fed to the said cham. ber; means for operating the said plunger a's required to elevate the laden mold-bottom above the chamber-forming mold-section; a removably-supported pallet arranged to receive the elevated laden mold-bottom, and

means for feeding the said elevated bottom onto the said pallet.

7. In a machine for making products of the character indicated, a mold comprising a section which is instrumental in formingthe surrounding walls of'the chamber of the mold, said mold having a bottom which is movable up and down and has such travel relative to the said chamber-forming section that the said bottom and the product formed within the said chamber and resting on the bottom shall be removed from the said chamber, or the IOO said chamber shall be closed by the said bottom from below, according as the said bottom is actuated into the one or the other of its extreme positions; a plunger arranged to afford bearing to the said bottom; means for compacting the material fed to the said chamber; means for operating the said plunger; a re' movably-supported'pallet arranged to receive the laden mold-bottom, when the latter is removed from the aforesaid chamber, and means for feeding the laden bottom, when the latter is removed from the said chamber, onto the said pallet.

8. In a machine for making products of the character indicated, a mold comprising a section which forms the surrounding walls 'of the chamber of the mold and having a bottom which is movable upwardly through the said chamber; a plunger arranged to aord bearing to the said bottom and movable within the said chamber; means for compacting the material fed to the said chamber and comprising another plunger arranged to enter the said chamber from above; means for operating the upper plunger; means for feeding material to the chamber of the mold and comprising a hopper having a spout arranged to chamber-forming mold-section and above the said table, and means for removing the elevated laden bottom from the lower plunger onto the said table.

ln testimony whereof I sign the foregoing specification, in the presence of two witnesses, this 12th day of April, 1902.

WILLIAM E. JACQUES.

Witnesses:

C. H. DoRER, TELsA SCHWARTZ. 

